Time for action against flooding in Denbighshire

A COUNCIL boss is ‘kicking backsides’ to improve defences as an urgent meeting is set up to find £5 million in funding to stop St Asaph being devastated by floods again.

As Denbighshire County Council voted unanimously to push forward with plans to tackle flood risk, lead member for the public realm Cllr David Smith said he will make sure essential work is carried out.

Now the results of an investigation into last November’s extreme floods have been considered, he has emailed Natural Resources Minister Alun Davies for an urgent meeting to discuss Welsh Government funding.

A FLOOD risk plan which will cost more than £5 million was given the go ahead yesterday.

The full council voted unanimously to implement recommendations from a investigation into the November 2012 floods which affected about 500 homes at 11 locations from Rhuddlan to Glyndyfrdwy.

The report showed that Denbighshire’s flood defences were not as strong as originally thought.

St Asaph was thought to be defended against a one in 100 to one in 200 chance of a flood, but the city was at risk of a one in 30 chance downstream of the A55 and one in 75 upstream.

Denbighshire corporate director Rebecca Maxwell said: “Unfortunately it is not possible to totally eradicate the risk of flooding.

“But for some locations there are steps we could and should have taken.”
But, she said, “99.9 per cent of people were really happy with the way that Denbighshire responded.”

Denbighshire County Council and Natural Resources Wales will now approach the Welsh Government for funding as the council cannot pay it from their existing budget.

Part two of the investigation, relating to Glasdir estate in Ruthin, will be heard at the full council meeting on September 10.

Natural Resources Wales is now considering if there are short term measures which could be carried out to protect high flood risk areas in the mean time.

Work carried out already to reduce flood risk includes anti-flood vavles on surface water drains at Brookehouse in Denbigh and the removal of safety grilles on culverts and fitting of a temporary telemetry enabled water gauge in the culvert channel at Glasdir.

A drop-in session will be held at Ysgol Esgob Morgan in St Asaph on Saturday, July 13.